


My Facade Is Too Weak To Show My Strengths

by Swords_And_Serpents



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, Homeless Jughead Jones, Hurt Jughead Jones, Jughead Jones Needs a Hug, Protective Betty Cooper, Starvation, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-10
Updated: 2018-04-10
Packaged: 2019-03-29 21:41:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13935984
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Swords_And_Serpents/pseuds/Swords_And_Serpents
Summary: He would usually be at the beloved diner but the smells from the kitchen of all the delicious food cooking wouldn't help the horrible gnawing pain in his stomach. He tried ignoring it as much as he could in favour to write. However it was quite hard to focus on the words on the screen when his tummy was gurgling with hunger. 'Could this get any worse.' Jughead thought. He thought nothing could be worse than living in a cupboard in the school but, now starving to death seemed to be more problematic.





	My Facade Is Too Weak To Show My Strengths

It all started when Jughead lost the drive-in; you see whilst he still worked and lived at the Twilight he was lucky to get money and a place a sleep. He could buy multiple meals at Pop's whenever he wanted. But once the drive-in closed. Things got bad. He had nowhere to sleep and zero way to make money. 

He was well and truly screwed.

He finally found a place to live. The schools forgotten supply closet. Sure it was no five star hotel, it was small and cramped and they turned off the heating at seven, but he didn't mind. It was much better than staying with his dad by a long shot.

A few days after living at the school problems started to occur. Mainly the fact that he was running out of money, he only had six dollars left. He had no other food on him either. Only empty bags of chips or wrappers from eaten candy bars remained. He was sat down at a table with Betty next to him and across from him was Veronica and Archie. They all chatted about many things Jughead didn't join on in the conversation though. He was to busy digging into his lunch. Knowing that would be his only decent meal all day. He's been refusing to buy one of Pop's pricey but delicious burgers. He wanted to save as much money as possible in case of an emergency. With that mentality in mind lunch was the only time he got to eat.

A week later he had no money left. Jughead spent the last of his money giving into Pop's hearty meals of a burger, a side of fries and a chocolate shake. That was from two days ago, now it was the weekend. Jughead was hiding out in the closet finding it being a quiet place to work on his novel. He would usually be at the beloved diner but the smells from the kitchen of all the delicious food cooking wouldn't help the horrible gnawing pain in his stomach. He tried ignoring it as much as he could in favour to write. However it was quite hard to focus on the words on the screen when his tummy was gurgling with hunger. 'Could this get any worse.' Jughead thought. He thought nothing could be worse than living in a cupboard in the school but, now starving to death seemed to be more problematic.

On Sunday he was even worse. Even hungrier. Hearing audible rumbles and growls come from his stomach. It felt like torture for him, he felt hungry and tired. He wanted to so badly get something to eat. The smallest thing, just to stop his noisy stomach for a few minutes at the very least. Even though he felt terrible he managed to take his thoughts away from his empty belly.

On Monday, Jughead was ravenous. He kept hearing his stomach make beyond human noises. It distracted him from learning anything all morning. He even heard some people muttering about hearing some weird rumbling noises in the silence of history class, maybe they knew it was him, or maybe not. Either way he felt slightly guilty. At lunch he was greeted with an empty tray, when questioned about having no food (as he usually eats a metric ton) Jug simply mumbled "I forgot my lunch money." The rest of the gang left it at that apart from Betty. She knew something was wrong and she was going to find out what is was. "Hey Juggie," he hummed in reply, "Can we go over this new Blue & Gold article after school today?" "Uhh, yeah sure..." He answered hesitantly.

Betty was hoping that in some way that if she just got Jughead to be alone with her, he would open up to her. Betty had started to notice her boyfriends behaviour turn drastically odd. Well he's always been weird. But weirder than usual. He has darker eyebags, like he hasn't been sleeping well (or not at all). He was quieter and he even looked skinnier than usual. She hoped with all her might that nothing was wrong, but she came increasingly worried as Jughead became more distant.

Later after school Jughead was milling around the Blue & Gold office waiting for Betty, she had cheerleading practise. Whilst he was all alone he could really hear how hungry he was, a monstrous roar come from the pit of his stomach. It has been many days since he had last eaten, Thursday to be exact. And the lack of food is starting to make him weak and hazy. Betty soon arrived and they both started to go over the article before they decide to publish it. The work distracted Jughead from his starvation, however once they were done the feeling came back to annoy him. There was a massive growl heard from his belly. It was so strong that him made him lurch forward and double over grabbing his stomach in pain. "Juggie, is everything okay?" Betty asked Jughead who was kneeled on the floor in agony clutching his tummy. "No, I-um, I haven't eaten since-" That was all he could say before another rumble from his empty belly filled him with pain. "You know what, you can explain once there's some food in you." She said as they exited the school and quickly made their way over to Pop's. 

When they finally got to the diner they both sat down at a booth and Betty ordered an enormous burger, with a side of fries for Jughead and a milkshake for them both. As soon as the food arrived Jughead wasted no time stuffing his face with the succulent food. After he ate a reasonable amount of his meal, Betty asked. "Why haven't you been eating, Jug?" Jughead quickly tried to think up a quick lie on the tip of his tongue. But he could never lie to Betty. "It's because, it's because i haven't got any money." There was a moment of silence before he mumbled something under his breath. Something he hoped Betty wouldn't hear, "Or a home for that matter."

Fortunately Betty heard. Her prying eyes and ears will make her a great journalist one day. She was shocked to hear that her own boyfriend was struggling without her even knowing. However Jughead was great at hiding things, mainly his problems, always having the feeling of burdening someone with them. "Juggie." She reached for his hands comforting them in the warmth of her own., "Why aren't you living at home?" With a long pause and a shaky breath Jughead managed to gather the courage to tell her the truth. After spending years building his walls high, they were finally going to be broken down. "Because of my dad, he started drinking after my mom and Jellybean left. He kind of fell of the wagon you know, and he wasn't getting back on any time soon so i left. I left home. I was living at the drive-in before it closed." Betty was deeply saddened to hear about what has been happening to Jug. But one thing still wasn't cleared up.

"So where are you living now?" She asked. "I'm currently living at the school, in some sort of cupboard under the stairs like Harry Potter." He laughed, but it wasn't a laugh filled with humor, instead it was bitter and lifeless. Betty had lost the old Jughead she once knew. She needed to make get him back. "Jug, I want to help you out, so i'll talk to my mom see if you can stay with us for a while. Even if it isn't permanent you can at least stay until we find another place for you to live. And if we're the only family you can get. Then you'll stay with us." She smiled hoping he would smile back. And he did, it was the happiest Betty had ever seen him, "Really Betts? I would love that!" It was the first time in so long he genuinely felt happy. He was so overjoyed that he gave Betty the most passionate kiss she deserved.

Jug finished the rest of his food sighing in pleasure after finally having something fill his once empty stomach. "I'll pay you back for this Cooper." He promised solemnly. "Nonsense Jug! The only way you should pay me back is with a kiss." And kiss her he did.

**Author's Note:**

> So yeah the ending was cheesy but hey that's what love is


End file.
